Bulk meter



July 27, 1937. 1 MCCANDLESS BULK METER original Filed Feb. 3, 1933 2 SheetS-Sh'eet 1 lllllllhl'lllllilll l l] INVENTOR #50., CLA

July 27, 1937; MCCANDLESS 2,088,270

BULK METER Original Filed Feb. 5, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR d Mm Patented July 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE BULK METER Lyon McCandless, Beaver Falls, Pa.

s claims.

'I'his invention relates to uid meters and more particularly meters commonly'referred toin the trade as bulk meters such as may be employed on pipe lines at refineries and ,at bulk handling stations and this application is a division of an application serially numbered 655,055 filed February 3, 1933.

'I'he object of the invention is the provision of means for automatically eiec'ting adjustment for temperature variations in the iiuid whereby any change in volume of the-fluid due to temperature changes is automatically corrected to 60 F. which is the standard temperature to which crude and rened oils are usually corrected when hot and cold.

This and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof' in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which:

Figure l is a cross-sectional view of a fluid meter embodying the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 a cross-sectional view taken along the lines lI-II of Figure l;

Figure 3 a cross-section taken along the lines III--III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 a top plan view of a temperature compensating device connected to the meter shaft in ay manner hereinafter explained.

With reference to'Figures l to 3 inclusive of the drawings, the structure therein illustrated comprises a meter housing I having a hollow casting 2 secured thereto by bolts 3, the casting constituting a valve chest or compartment and having a central cored out portion 4 through which a meter shaft 5 projects for connecting the meter with a registering or indicating mechanism (not shown).

'I'he housing I is provided with a web portion 6 integrally formed therewith which is bored out for receiving a sleeve I in which is mounted a crank shaft 8 journalled by anti-friction bearings 9. 'I'he interior of the housing I is provided with a, plurality of cylinders i0 arranged with their axes in parallel relation for receiving a plurality of piston members II, there being a pair of such pistons in each of the cylinder bores, each pair of pistons being joined by a yoke I2 to which they are secured by cap bolts I3.

The yokes I2 are provided with an elongated slot I4 in which a crank lpin I5 is disposed for movement, the pin moving back and forth 'axially in the slot Il in response to movement of the piston members II as will be hereinafter explained in connection with the description of (Cl. I3-233) the operation of the meter. The cylinders I0 are preferably provided with liners I0a of a noncorroding metal such as brass or stainless steel, and the piston elements II are provided with metal packing rings II.

The parallel pistons II are connected through their yokes I2 by a plurality of cranks I6, Figures 1 and 2, the cranks being actuated through the crank pins I5 operating in the slots I4.

- Cranks I6 are provided with integral eccentrics Il which cooperatewith yokes I8 of levers I9 that extend upwardly into the valve chamber and engage connecting pins 20 of valves 2l. The cranks I6 are connected to the ends of the shaft 8 which carries a gear wheel 22 to rotate the meter shaft 5.

Pistons II are provided with extensions IIa which constitute abutments that engage adjustable stops I Ib in cylindrical recesses which determine the length of the piston stroke independently of the connected crank mechanism. Sunicient clearance is provided for the crank pin connection with the yokes to permit full length of travel of pistons. Stop Ila is provided with a cylindrical portion I Ic that enters cylindrical recess IId to provide a dash-pot effect whiehprevents jarring of pistons I I at end of stroke.

In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the valves 2i are illustrated as slide valves consisting of a lower part 23 which controls valve passages 24 and 25 that communicate with the cylinder chambers I0, and an upper portion 26 which is biased Aby a coil spring 21 to hold it in contact with a slide or pressure plate 28.

A sealing annulus 29 is fitted into grooves provided in the members 23 and 26 to prevent the iiuid of the valve chamber entering between the two halves 23 and 26 of the slide valve.

With reference to Figure 3 of the drawings, the reference numeral 30 designates the inlet flow connection for the meter, and 3| the delivery connection, inlet 30 communicating with valve chamber 32, Figure 2, and the delivery passage 3| communicating with the portion of the chambers of cylinders I0 between the piston elements II and all of the interior in which thelevers I9 are disposed including the discharge side of the valves 2l. Y

It is to be noted that al1 of the linkage connecting the valve 2| with the measuring pistons Il is disposed on the discharge side of the meter so thatno parts are provided on the pressure side which would necessitate a more complex construction and require the use of uid packing as in the prior art devices. Y

Iii

-crank Il.

As the volume of the duid such as petroleum or gasoline changes considerably with any variations in temperature, corrections for such variations must be made repeatedly, and to avoid the making of adjustments I have devised a means which automatically compensates for temperature variations andwhich consists of the following mechanism.

With reference to Figure 4 of the drawings, l designates the meter shaft shown in Figures 1 and 2. Mounted on the shaft l is a crank pin 31 movable in a slot IB of a disc 30, the pin being biased at one end by a coil spring 40 and at its other end by a bi-metallic element 4I which at one end abuts against pin l1 and its other end is fastened in some convenient manner to the plate ll.

Connected to the crank pin 31 are a lplurality of links 42 and Il pivoted at 42a and 43a respectively to ratchet members M and 4l. The ratchets are j provided with tangent grooves or slots as shown at 4I, and are provided with balls 41 that are vadapted to wedge between the upper faces of theslots 46 and the outer surface of a disc Il that is keyed to the register drive shaft It. I'he balls 41 are biased by coil springs Il to 'retain them in the wedge shaped portion of the slot so as to maintain contact with the surface of the member 48.

The above' described mechanism operates brieny as follows: With the inlet I0 of the meter connected to a pumping system or other source .of huid pressure and with valve 2l positioned in such manner as to partly open the fluid passage 2l, the uid will ilow to the front of one of the piston elements Il causing its displacement into cylinder l0, and any fluid in the cylinder chamber of the complementary piston element will be displaced through the valve passage 25 to the interior or delivery side of valve 2| from which it passes through the discharge opening 3| to a service line or container. While the piston I I is moving longitudinally in cylinder chambers Il, the crank pin Il will be subjected to ,angular movement through its engagement with the slot Il of the yoke and cause shaft l to be rotated simultaneously with the movement of 'I'he eccentrica I1 will actuate levers Il to cause a corresponding movement of the valves 2l in positive timed relation with the movement of the piston element so that when the piston has traversed one half of its stroke, the valve passages 2l and 2l will be wide open causing a maximum flow of the fluid to andY from the meter.

As shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, cranks I l are 90 apart so that when one set of pistons is on dead center as shown in Figure 2, the other set is operative to cause rotation of the cranks and consequently the connected valve mechanism whereby a substantially uniform volume of fluid passesthrough the meter at all times.

The` construction of the movable parts is such that minimum wear will result from the operation of the`device as all of the movable elements are designed to have maximum contacting surfaces whereby Ja minimum amount of strain is concentrated thereon.

As previously explained. the valve chamber is connected to the inlet connection 3l so that it is at all times filled with fluid under pressure and the pressure acting all around the valve 2| will not cause any exce pressure on anyl oi' its contacting sides which in prior art devices resulted in excessive wear.

As the piston elements il are actuated back and forth through operation of the valve 2|, the meter shaft I is actuated through crank shaft 8 by the connecting gears 22, and as the meter shaft is connected to a register or indicating mechanism (not shown) the amount of 'fluid displaced by pistons H will be registered by such mechanism.

With reference to the automatic regulation` of the register mechanisms for temperature variations, the device illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings functions in the following manner.

The meter shaft 5, upon rotation will operate crank 39 which, in turn, subjects the ratchet elements 44 and 45 to angular movement causing the balls I1 to engage the disc that operates the register drive shaft for one direction of movetuent and release the same in the opposite direction. As the bi-metallic element 4| will change its length in response to temperature variations, it will effect a corresponding movement or displacement of the crank pin 31 so that the stroke of links' 4 2 and 43 will be varied in response to variations in thermal conditions, thus effecting a corresponding lag or increase in movement of the register shaft `49. By means of such a device, the difference in volume of the uid dispensed or measured will be compensated Yfor* so that a volume corresponding to the standard volume for F. will be 'registered on the meter register.

It is evident from the foregoing description ofthe invention that a meter of the character therein described is of rugged mechanical construction, embodies a minimum number of mechanical parts, and is positive in its operation particularly in maintaining accurate timing of the valve with the piston movement. Also, by operating the valve mechanism through linkage disposed in the discharge pressure side of the system, leakage resulting from packings and connections employed in prior art devices are eliminated thus making the metering device more accurate and useful.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be obvious to lthose skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction 4without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I' claim: Y

1. In a metering device for measuring fluids, a meter shaft and a register shaft, a ratchet mounted on the register shaft and a disk having a slot mounted on said meter shaft, a crank pin `movably mounted in said slot, crank arms connecting the pin to the ratchet mechanism, means normally biasing the. crank pin of the meter shaft in one direction, and temperature responsive means operative against the tension of the `biasing mean's for altering the location of the crank pin in response to the temperature changes thereby varying the stroke of the crank arms to vary .the extent of movement of the ratchet mechanism.

2. In a metering device for measuring fluids, a meter shaft and a register shaft, a ratchet mechanism mounted on the register shaft and a crank'having a crank pin mounted on the meter shaft, links connecting said crank pin and ratchet mechanism, abimetallic element and coil spring constituting opposite abutments for said crank pin, said bimetallic element being responsive to temperature changes to varythe stroke of the crank pin thereby varying the extent of movement of the ratchet mechanism. f

drical surface of the register shaft to lock therewith and advance said shaft, a crank pin -mounted on the disk of the meter shaft, links vconnecting said crank pin with the annular members of the ratchet mechanism, the crank pin being yieldingly mounted in the disk of the meter shaft, and a bimetallic element connected at one end to said crank pin to vary the radial position thereof relative 'to the meter shaft in response to temperature changes. Y

LYON MCCANDLESS. 

